Slang

1. Heisann

   Hey there

   Usage

   A cheerful casual hello for friends and peers. With a stranger or someone older, plain "hei" is safer — and "hei" works with absolutely anyone in Norway

2. Vi ses

   See you

   Usage

   Literally "we see each other". Relaxed but never rude, so it works with friends and shop staff alike. The all-purpose goodbye is "ha det", or "ha det bra" to be warmer

3. Det går fint

   It's fine

   Usage

   Literally "it goes fine". It answers "are you OK?" and also agrees to a proposal. Safe with anyone, including people older than you

4. Slapp av

   Relax / No worries

   Usage

   Both "don't worry about it" after an apology and "calm down" to someone flustered. The second sense can sound patronising, so keep it to close friends and never use it with someone senior

5. Digg

   Lovely / Delicious

   Usage

   Praise for anything that feels good — food, music, a day off. Because it only compliments, it never offends, and works with friends and staff alike. "Det var digg!" is the standard way to praise a meal

6. Kjempebra

   Really great

   Usage

   "Kjempe-" (giant) is a productive intensifying prefix — "kjempegod", "kjempekaldt" and so on. It carries no coarseness, so it is safe with anyone

7. Koselig

   Cosy

   Usage

   The Norwegian counterpart of Danish "hygge" and central to how Norwegians talk about good times — usable of a place, an evening, a person, an atmosphere. Safe with anyone, and a guesthouse or café owner is always pleased to hear it

8. Kose seg

   To enjoy oneself cosily

   Usage

   The verb behind "koselig". "Kos deg!" — enjoy yourself — is a standard parting line, safe with anyone. "Vi koser oss" means we're having a lovely time

9. Chille

   To chill

   Usage

   From English "chill" — doing nothing in particular. A younger person's word; with anyone older say "slappe av"

10. Henge

    To hang out

    Usage

    Literally "to hang". "Skal vi henge i helga?" invites someone to hang out at the weekend. For peers — at work say "møtes"

11. Kompis

    Mate / Buddy

    Usage

    Casual "friend". It is for talking about someone, not for addressing them. Safe to use with anyone

12. Kjipt

    Rubbish / A shame

    Usage

    For a disappointing thing or a situation that went wrong. Aim it at situations, not people — calling a person "kjip" is a criticism. For friends your own age

13. Gidder ikke

    I can't be bothered

    Usage

    "Gidde" means to be bothered to do something. Fine as an excuse among friends, but it sounds dismissive at work or to anyone senior

14. Skravle

    To chat away

    Usage

    Rambling, easy conversation. Warm and usable at any age, though saying "hun skravler mye" about someone can sound faintly critical

15. Pugge

    To cram / To swot

    Usage

    Rote learning before an exam. "Jeg pugger norsk" is a perfectly good line in a self-introduction, and every student uses the word

16. Fikse

    To sort it out

    Usage

    "Jeg fikser det" — I'll handle it — is extremely common. Casual but not impolite, and fine with colleagues

17. Utepils

    The first outdoor beer of spring

    Usage

    The word for that first beer drunk outdoors when the long winter finally breaks — a genuine seasonal milestone in Norway, and a harmless word to use with anyone. "Årets første utepils" makes the news every year

18. Dugnad

    Communal volunteer work

    Usage

    The unpaid working day where residents or club members turn out together — cleaning the apartment block, fixing up the school, running the sports club. It is central enough to Norwegian life that it was voted the national word in 2004. Safe with anyone

19. Russ

    Graduating high-school student

    Usage

    The final-year students who spend late April to Constitution Day on 17 May in red or blue boiler suits. You will see them everywhere, and knowing what is going on makes the trip more fun. Safe with anyone

20. Liksom

    like / sort of

    Usage

    Used exactly like conversational English "like". Everywhere in speech, but keep it out of writing and out of work

21. Takk for sist

    Thanks for last time

    Usage

    The Norwegian custom of opening a reunion by thanking someone for the last time you met — obligatory the day after being fed at someone's house. Polite and warm, so it works with friends and elders alike

Browse all TravelPhrases languages